Rudd should go, to let Labor break from its turbulent past

Normally we would expect anyone elected to Parliament to respect the honour the electorate has given them and take their seat in Parliament. This applies to both government and opposition members, whether their party has won or lost. Trust is the foundation of democracy.

We make an exception, however, in the case of Kevin Rudd. The former prime minister has indicated he will remain in Parliament despite his government losing office and his decision to step down as Labor leader. We think this is a bad idea. Rudd should go.

A unique confluence of circumstances means it would not be an insult to the voters of Griffith if he did not return to the Parliament even though they have just voted him back for a sixth term. Rudd has become a singularly divisive and distracting figure within his own party. He will go down in history as the unwitting architect of six years of turbulence and instability in federal politics.

Many prominent members of his own government are on record as saying he should leave Parliament. In June, after the removal of Julia Gillard as prime minister and the restoration of Rudd, a third of the cabinet chose not to serve with him.

Advertisement

Two cabinet ministers who chose to leave Parliament altogether after his return, Stephen Smith and Greg Combet, have in recent days called on Rudd to leave the Parliament now that he is leaving the leadership.

Even the voters of Griffith are far from enthusiastic about having Rudd as their local member. The electorate recorded a 3.4 per cent swing against Labor and Rudd had to retain the seat on Greens' preferences.

In the primary vote, he was outpolled by his Liberal opponent, Dr Bill Glasson, by 29,000 votes to 28,000, as Glasson engineered a 6.6 per cent swing to the Liberals, more than four times the national 1.4 per cent swing to the Liberals. Rudd gained a victory but also an electoral rebuke.

Public rebukes have come thick and fast from some of Rudd's former colleagues, to the point where his legacy will be indelibly linked to a reputation for dysfunctional leadership and self-grandiosity.

On Tuesday the outgoing minister for employment, Brendan O'Connor, who is expected to remain in the shadow ministry, called on Rudd to leave Federal Parliament for the good of the party. On Monday night, on the ABC, another former minister, Craig Emerson, described his former leader as a ''destabilising influence''. Emerson was clearly angered by remarks by Senator Kim Carr, a close ally of Rudd, who said the former prime minister had no intention of leaving Parliament because he had more to do as the member for Griffith.

Emerson responded: ''It's always been about Kevin. It hasn't been about the parliamentary Labor Party. It hasn't been about Labor values. It's always been about Kevin … always will be and, as a consequence, the new opposition leader would be destabilised by Kevin Rudd remaining in the Parliament.''

A former Labor leader, Simon Crean, agrees. He has urged Rudd to stand down. Crean also served in the government of Paul Keating who, after leading Labor to a landslide defeat in 1996, never served another day in Parliament, despite being re-elected in his seat, thus requiring a byelection.

The federal Labor caucus will meet on Friday and may be ready to select a new leader. The choice appears to be between Bill Shorten and Anthony Albanese.

Shorten is the frontrunner and may win the leadership uncontested. He has the unusual distinction of having served two Labor prime ministers and helped bring down them both - Rudd in 2010 and Gillard this year.

Labor's reputation for instability, for chewing through federal leaders, would thus attach itself to Shorten as leader. If he also has the former prime minister in his ranks, it will be a reminder of Labor's turbulent past and the last thing a new leader needs when the Labor brand name is so tarnished and its numbers so depleted.

Rudd should find another avenue for his undoubted talents and energy.

80 comments

How would Julia of gone in this election if they had got rid of Rudd from the party in 2010. No deal with the greens need, no white anting over the last 3 years. Labor would not of needed to cange leaders as they would of romped in this election.

Commenter

abc

Date and time

September 11, 2013, 6:12AM

no, you don't get rewarded for treachery, like her old boyfriend Emerson said.

Commenter

Tin

Date and time

September 11, 2013, 6:28AM

I don't know how Julia would "of" gone, but I think she may well "have" gone better. Three inappropriate uses of the word "of" when it should be "have".

Commenter

Chewman

Location

Outwest

Date and time

September 11, 2013, 6:53AM

I would prefer to see Rudd stay, mainly as it will help the good guys.

However, I am also dead set against by elections. I reckon the system should be I someone retires voluntarily before their term is up te seat goes to who came 2nd at the last election. They already expressed their preference and we know who was their second choice, you could also maybe ask the AEC to distribute the incumbents 2nd preferences to 2 and 3rd place to see who was preferred. This should apply to all (ie Rudd now, and also the NSW libs Annesly who is also retiring).

Commenter

Philly Slim

Date and time

September 11, 2013, 6:58AM

abc 6.12am: I think Gillard would have lost thirty-five seats...that's how I think she would have gone. Just heard that Shorten is nominating as opposition leader. Only fair that he should be the one who has to attempt to clean up the dreadful mess he created on 24 June 2010. Let's see how clever wonder-boy really is when the rubber has to meet the road. As for Rudd - you stay as long as you like. Don't let the media (and a few has-beens and union lackeys) dictate your future. The people of Griffith elected you - not them. This is still a democracy.

Commenter

EBAB

Location

St Lucia

Date and time

September 11, 2013, 9:01AM

Without Rudd's treacherous efforts to undermine his Party and get his old job back there would have been no disunity within the Party and little of substance for the Party of Nothing to get their teeth into other than their moronic 3 word slogans. A united Labor Party would have been able to treat the misrepresentations of the tin of paint and his foot-soldiers with the contempt they deserved. Gillard would have won the 2010 election by a significant margin without Rudd's sabotage and she would have carried that all the way to the recent election.

Personally, I'm happy for Rudd to ready a candidate for his seat (and his constituents deserve that) ahead of a by-election in 6 to 12 months time but Rudd has to be a fading memory by the time of the next election.

Commenter

jofek

Date and time

September 11, 2013, 9:30AM

@ abc - Gillard with clean air and no lead weight of the Greens in her saddlebags would have gone close. She was one with ideas and the ability to actually deliver policy.@ Philly Slim - Have you been paying attention? have you not heard what his own colleagues, not his opponents, consistantly say about him? Or his naucious performance of self promotion during his 2 times as PM?This guy has done more damage to his party than anyone in living memory. He needs to go and let those that are left re-build.@ EBAB - The question actually if he hadn't torpedoed her at the 2010 election and run his 3 year campaign of revenge how would she have gone. I think she would have won. This disaster is down to him.And for the record, the voters didn't actively vote him in as the member of Griffith. In a safe Labor seat he got 1000 less primary votes than Bill Glasson.

Commenter

wennicks

Date and time

September 11, 2013, 9:34AM

@wennicks 9.34am - i have indeed been paying attention. when I say good guys I mean the boys with the blue ties. Keeping Rudd helps cement pm tony and his successor Malcolm!

Commenter

Philly Slim

Date and time

September 11, 2013, 10:03AM

if you'd like another seat to go to the LNP, yes of course have another election in Rudd's seat.

Commenter

Martin

Date and time

September 11, 2013, 6:30AM

It wouldn't make much difference. The LNP already have a thumping majority in the Parliament.